External links
- Mark Benden publications indexed by Google Scholar
| Authority control databases: Academics |
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Mark Benden | |
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| Born | United States |
| Academic background | |
| Education | BS, 1990, BioEngineering, MSc, 1992, Industrial Engineering, PhD, 2006, Interdisciplinary Engineering, Texas A&M University College of Engineering |
| Thesis | The obese office worker seating problem (2006) |
| Academic work | |
| Institutions | Texas A&M University School of Public Health |
Mark E. Benden is an American ergonomist. He is a full professor and director of the Center for Worker Health (formerly known as the Ergonomics Center) at the Texas A&M University School of Public Health. In 2023,Benden was elected to the National Academy of Inventors for his innovations.
Benden was raised in Maryland [1] to a machinist father who inspired him to attend Texas A&M University for his Bachelor of Science in bioengineering with a focus on medicine. [2] However,in his senior year,he shifted his career path after taking an elective course on ergonomics by Jerome Congleton. Subsequently,he pursued a Master's degree in industrial engineering. [3] While completing his degrees,Benden was a member of the Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets and in the United States Army Reserve. Benden eventually became an officer of the United States Army Reserve and became an engineer for Johnson &Johnson's medical products division (Ethicon) upon the completion of his Master's degree. [1]
After working for six years at Johnson &Johnson,Benden became the Director of Engineering and Development at Neutral Posture Inc. [4] While at Neutral Posture,he completed his PhD in interdisciplinary engineering from Texas A&M and secured a patent for his armrest design. [3] After 10 years with Johnson &Johnson,Benden joined the faculty at the Texas A&M School of Public Health in 2008. [3] [5] During his first year,Benden and colleague Eric Wilke began developing a new ambulance that could navigate crowded and narrow streets in rural areas following a medical trip by Wilke to Uganda. [6] This led to the creation of the AmbiCycle,an ambulance that was nine feet long and used three wheels. [7] At the same time,Benden began conducting studies to test the impact standing desks had on technology induced inactivity. This led to the creation of Stand2Learn,a start-up company tasked with developing the classroom version of standing desks for elementary,middle,and high school students that Benden had designed. [8] From 2011 to 2013,Benden oversaw a study in three Texas elementary schools which found that standing desks had a larger positive impact on childhood obesity than regular standard desks over two years. [9] [10] In 2013,Benden was also promoted to the rank of associate professor with tenure. [11] In 2015 he became the Chair of the Environmental and Occupational Health Department. [4]
By May 2018,Benden's standing desks were used by 100,000 children inside schools in all 50 states and 13 other nations. As a result,he received the 2018 Innovation Award from Texas A&M Technology Commercialization. [12] Stand2Learn was shortly thereafter acquired by Varidesk,a manufacturer of active office products. [5] In 2019,Benden was named an inaugural senior member of the National Academy of Inventors as a result of his inventions to fight childhood obesity and improve classroom ergonomics. [13] In 2023,Benden was elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. [2]
Benden and his wife Teresa have three sons together. [14]
| Authority control databases: Academics |
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